Sussex man takes part in London triathlon in honour of wife with terminal brain tumour

Phil Goode, from Lewes, will be taking part in Challenge London, the world’s biggest city centre triathlon, with eight colleagues on August 6 in aid of the charity Brain Tumour Research.

It comes after his wife, Linda, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) – which has a devastatingly short prognosis of just 12-18 months – in October 2021 after suffering with speech problems and seizures.

Phil said: “I was looking to raise more money for the charity when the guys at work, who know I ride my bike a lot, decided to enter this and invited me to come along.

"A new cycle route has just opened from Lewes to Eastbourne and there and back is about 45km, which is a nice safe place to train, so I’ve been doing that three times a week.

“I’ve also been roping in a few friends and family members to help. My son Jonah’s been out with me and Linda got an e-bike so we could do some rides together. I did 30km with her last week, and, typical her, she zoomed off ahead, which was pretty funny.”

Since her diagnosis, Linda, 51, has undergone surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but the freelance PE teacher and advisor has been stable for almost 12 months.

The father-of-three, who is a director at US engineering consultancy firm AECOM, will be cycling 40km as part of the challenge’s Olympic relay event, which will see his teammates Andy Payne and Ed Hutton swim 1,500 metres and run 10km respectively.

Phil’s project management colleagues Alex Hammerton, Louise McGinley and Cormac Clerkin-Parr will form another relay team, as will Rocio Sorzano, Jason Dreyer and Sam Murphy, with others standing by as reserves.

The team is aiming to raise at least £2,740, which is enough to sponsor a day of research at one of the charity’s four Centres of Excellence.

To support the team’s fundraising, visit their Just Giving page AECOM London PM's fundraiser for Brain Tumour Research

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Linda’s story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours, which can affect anyone at any time. They kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

“We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure. We’re really grateful to Phil and his AECOM colleagues for taking on this challenge for us and wish them the best of luck on the day. Together we will find a cure.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.

The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes.